Cognitive Science Degree in Bloomington, IN — Salary & ROI 2026
Cognitive Science degree analysis for Bloomington, IN. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$42K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$79K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
7.6 yrs
in Bloomington
Cost of Living
83
index (100 = avg)
Cognitive Science in Bloomington, IN Overview
While Bloomington has a smaller college scene with 5 institutions, Cognitive Science students benefit from lower tuition costs. Room and board averages $12,831/year, and the car-friendly layout shapes the student experience. Cognitive Science has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for UX Research and Experimental Design skills. The adjusted starting salary in Bloomington is approximately $41,500, growing to $78,850 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
5
Public Tuition
$10,948/yr
Private Tuition
$35,439/yr
Room & Board
$12,831/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$13,996/yr
Unemployment
5.2%
Graduation Rate
64%
Cognitive Science Salary in Bloomington (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Bloomington's cost of living index of 83 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Cognitive Science salary: $50,000 starting, $95,000 mid-career, $120,000 senior level.Bloomington adjustment factor: 0.83x based on the local cost of living index.
Cognitive Science ROI Calculator for Bloomington
Estimate your return on investment for a Cognitive Science degree using local Bloomington tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,948 | Private avg: $35,439
Bloomington avg aid: $13,996/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$95,116
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$12,450
vs HS diploma in Bloomington
ROI Payback Period
7.6 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Bloomington
$444,384
Lifetime earnings premium ($539,500) minus total education cost ($95,116)
Student Loan Payoff for Cognitive Science in Bloomington
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Bloomington for Cognitive Science
Indiana University Bloomington
public
$10,948/yr
$43,792 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington
$4,540/yr
Top Employers for Cognitive Science in Bloomington
Bloomington offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Cognitive Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Bloomington Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Cognitive Science Job Titles
Cognitive Science in Nearby Indiana Cities
Indianapolis, IN
$47K starting · COL 94
25 colleges
Fort Wayne, IN
$52K starting · COL 103
24 colleges
Evansville, IN
$43K starting · COL 86
10 colleges
South Bend, IN
$45K starting · COL 89
9 colleges
Carmel, IN
$53K starting · COL 105.2
4 colleges
Fishers, IN
$50K starting · COL 100.5
4 colleges
Hammond, IN
$47K starting · COL 93.1
4 colleges
Lafayette, IN
$42K starting · COL 84.8
3 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Bloomington
Prompt Engineering
$42K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$79K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$71K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$73K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$68K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$42K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$66K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$42K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cognitive Science Degree in Bloomington — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Cognitive Science ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Bloomington.